


Sharp Knife of a Short Life

by roxashighwind



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Character Death, Episode 114, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 02:54:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12312429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxashighwind/pseuds/roxashighwind
Summary: The Raven Queen does not usually greet the recently deceased personally. She makes an exception here.--Set during the events of Episode 114 and the final confrontation with Vecna.





	Sharp Knife of a Short Life

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired 100% by [this art on tumblr](http://jillamy.tumblr.com/post/166160353448/do-not-worry-he-will-be-here-soon).
> 
> I had a lot of feelings and so this piece of fiction was born. 
> 
> Title from 'If I Die Young' by The Band Perry.

She hates taking the young, those who should have had long lives ahead of them. She especially hates taking this young one.

Velora Vessar, half sister of her beloved Champion and Pelor’s Champion besides. 

The elven child stood before her, radiating fear. This is not the place for her, she thinks, except that it is. Death is death is death, with very few exceptions, and even those will eventually come to her. 

“Be not afraid,” she tells her, voice soft so as not to frighten the child. She compacts herself until she is the size of her Champion, still taller than Velora but much less intimidating. “He will be here soon.”

The girl’s voice quivers. “He?”

She steps closer to the girl, out of the shadows her realm is so willing to shade her in, and reaches up to remove her mask. She lets the mask vanish, she’ll call it again if she wants to hide. “Your brother, Vax’ildan.”

“Am I…” Her face scrunches for a moment before her shoulders straighten and she looks up at the Matron almost defiantly. “I’m dead, aren’t I?”

She contains her smile, but only just; the girl’s strength is a soft glow that only she can see, and it fights with the sour fear at not knowing where she is. “You are, child.”

“How do you know Vax?”

She can tell that the girl is latching on to the connection to keep from crying, tears in her eyes though she doesn’t let them fall. “He is my Champion,” she replies, honestly; there’s no reason to keep it from her. “And he will be here soon and you will not be alone.” 

“He’s going to die, too?” Velora wraps her arms around herself, shoulders hunching just a little. She’s still not crying, but the glow of her strength - her determination to stay strong and not cry - is waning fast.

“Child.” The Matron steps even closer, closing the gap between them to gently lift the girl’s face. “Death is not the end.” She gently brushes hair out of Velora’s eyes, and tries to give her most reassuring smile; it’s not a comfortable thing for her, though she thinks she manages well enough.

The tears come quietly, no snotty sobs or hiccoughs, no movement to her body but for a slight tremble. “I don’t… Vax will be here?” She latches again to her brother, so as not to think about her mother and father, her few friends in Syngorn. 

“Soon,” she replies with a small nod. Gently she wipes Velora’s cheeks. “He has a battle to fight, and then he will return here.”

“Return?”

The Matron nods again. “As my Champion, he has agreed to come to me after the battle.” She does her best to keep the venom out of her voice at the reminder of the fight with the Whispered One currently taking place. “And in return, I have allowed him to escape death until the battle is over.”

Velora’s mouth falls in a frown, but she nods her understanding though she doesn’t look certain at all. “Oh.”

With part of her attention focused on the battle, the Matron offers a hand to Velora. “Sit with me and tell me of those lovely feathers behind your ear while we wait for Vax’ildan?”

The girl brightens and takes the offered hand. She launches animatedly into the story of Vex giving her the owlbear feathers, and literally everything she knew about owlbears.


End file.
